Electrophotographic equipment utilizes sensitive components that must be routinely serviced by either dedicated service personnel or by the end user. Many of these components are easily damaged unless care is exercised during replacement. In some instances, it is considered imprudent to depend upon an individual exercising care as a step in carrying out critical operation. This is especially important when the risk of error is high, and the cost and machine down-time associated with error is great.
A primary component requiring frequent replacement within an electrophotographic print engine is the photoreceptive member. The function of the photoconductor is to provide a means of developing an image and transferring that image to paper. The photoreceptive member is coated with photosensitive material which is essential to operation of electrographic printers. The photosensitive material is easily scratched and can be damaged by exposure to ambient light if handled imprudently. This type of damage creates unacceptable image quality defects in the transferred image.
In close proximity to the receptive member are many components that support the imaging of the photoconductor. These components can scratch or abrade the photoreceptive member during replacement. There is a need to eliminate the potential for damage to the photoreceptive member.